Dance Away, Dance Away, Dance Away All!
by kisa-kara-chan
Summary: The Royal Birthstone is being revealed at a Christmas Ball on Terra Dancia. The Dark Ace has been told to crash. Aerrow and Piper decide to go undercover to try and stop him. Will they succeed and will they realize their love for each other? AxP pairing.
1. Party Crashers?

**Okay... well... I thought this would be fun and interesting to write, so here it is... obviously an AxP pairing. Rating will be for later chapters. Hope you like it! Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks belongs to Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke.**

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Chapter One: Party Crashers?

"Um… Aerrow? We've got a problem," a green, cold-blooded Merb announced, his beady eyes twitching.

A young redhead the age of 14 walked up next to him. "What's wrong, Stork?" he asked his carrier pilot.

"You know how right now Piper and Finn are doing recon down on Terra Saharr? We'll… we've got a report back from them," Stork explained.

One certain Wallop strolled up to them. "What's the problem then?" he asked.

"Well, Junko, according to them, there's going to be a formal Christmas dance hosted on Terra Dancia, you know… the terra near Cyclonia. Anyway, apparently they think the Dark Ace is planning to crash that party." The Merb explained.

"And Piper and Finn are worried… why?" Aerrow questioned, curiosity in his sparkling emerald green eyes.

"Well…" Stork began, "Piper says that they're revealing the Royal Birthstone."

Junko nodded in understanding. Then he asked, "What's the Royal Birthstone?"

He groaned, slapping a hand on his forehead.

Radarr, a furry blue creature that was also Aerrow's co-pilot, scampered onto Aerrow's shoulder. He chirped.

"What's going on, buddy?" Aerrow implored his furry best friend.

"Piper and Finn are in the Hangar Bay, they're on their way to the Bridge," Stork answered.

About 30 seconds later, a dark skinned, midnight blue haired girl and a blonde, spiky haired teen walked onto the Bridge.

"Hey, welcome back, you guys," Junko greeted cheerfully.

"Thanks Junko," Finn replied, his blue eyes sparkling.

"What did you find?" Aerrow asked Piper worriedly.

"Apparently the Dark Ace is planning to crash this Christmas dance on Terra Dancia, and that's where they're planning to show the Royal Birthstone to the crowd," she explained hurriedly, "Aerrow, we've got to do something. If Cyclonis gets her hands on the Royal Birthstone, then she'll name herself as Queen of Atmos."

"Hey Finn," the redhead called, "do you have a tuxedo I could borrow?"

"Why?" the blonde inquired.

The Sky Knight grinned. "Piper and I are going to the dance."

Piper gasped, blushing, "Why me?!"

He turned to her, still smiling. "You're the only girl on the team, and plus you're my First Officer, and so technically this fits."

She sighed, "Fine… I know there's no use arguing with you. When you've made a decision, you usually stick it through."

But what she didn't know was that he loved her. Aerrow had always shown affection towards Piper in some way, but she only assumed it was sibling love. Truth was, she had fallen in love with him too. But she couldn't bring herself to admit it. Neither could he.

_Maybe this dance might bring us closer together_, Piper thought excitedly.

Aerrow was thinking the same. _And maybe I might find the guts to admit I like her._

"Hey, how about us?" Finn implored.

"I think we'll be able to sneak you and Stork in as waiters. Junko, sorry buddy, but you just would stand out too much. The Dark Ace would recognize you easy. You could perhaps stay in the kitchen or something. If something goes wrong at this dance, I'd rather have all of you by my side," Aerrow elaborated.

"When's the dance?" Junko asked.

"In about a week," Piper declared.


	2. Choosing Out a Dress

**Okay... due to several requests to update, here's chapter two! I apologize if the characters don't seem to fit (or too OCC-ish), and please let me know how I can fix that. I'll try to make them as Canon as possible. lol. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks belong to Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke.**

**Claimer: Angela, Terra Shoppers, Terra Dancia, lolz.**

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Chapter Two: Choosing out a Dress

For the next week, the Storm Hawks were planning out and preparing for the dress ball. Aerrow took Piper to the mall on Terra Shoppers. She needed to find a nice dress to wear to the ball. And who else to help her choose one out than her date? They were at the west entrance to the mall, and it was lightly snowing.

"Okay, let's get started!" Aerrow exclaimed enthusiastically.

Piper smiled. "Wow Aerrow, for a guy, you're pretty excited to go shopping for a dress," she commented," Why is that?"

He flushed with embarrassment, running a hand through his hair. "Well… why not be?" he retorted, avoiding the question.

She shrugged simply. "That's true. Well… do you have a dress you want me to wear in mind?" she teased.

He shook his head furiously, snapping himself out of his thoughts. "N-No! W-Why would I?!" he shouted.

She blinked at him. "Aerrow, I was actually just teasing you. But you were starting to space out, not to mention stare at me. It was kinda creepy," she told him, walking up to him. She dusted some snow out of his hair and put the back of her hand on his forehead. "You sure you're okay?"

He blushed at her touch and pulled away. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go inside," he insisted and walked into the mall. He turned to his navigator immediately. "So… you have anything in mind?" he asked.

She took a moment to think. "Not really, no. Let's just go take a look inside some dress shops. I've heard there was one shop that had beautiful dresses for a low price. Let's go there," she replied, her tangerine eyes lighting up.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "What's the place called?"

"Um… I think it was called "Angela's Designer Dresses".

"Okay…" he said, walking over to a huge holographic map of the mall created by a Holo Crystal, "It's over…" he went left, "this way."

She followed him, staring at all of the Christmas decorations hung all around the mall. There was fake cotton snow on the very edges of the walls. There were ornaments, garland and lights hanging from the ceiling, and average-sized Christmas trees stood in the middle of the walkways. Her mouth was agape and she compared the Condor's interior compared to the mall. She thought, _We really should decorate the Condor, though I suppose it would probably fall off or get destroyed if the Cyclonians showed up._

"Ah… here we are," Aerrow announced, breaking her out of her thoughts as they arrived in front of a glass-window shop. Gowns of all colours were on display.

Piper gasped in amazement. "Wow. They have a _lot_ of different dresses here. Come on! Let's go in!" she exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Aerrow and yanking him into the shop.

A young woman looking about the age of 19 strolled up to them, wearing an elegant dress that had designs that made it look like it was from the 16th century. She had long blonde hair, curls at the end, and her bright blue eyes sparkled in the light. "Hello," she greeted, "I'm Angela, how may I help you?"

"Um…" Aerrow began, motioning to Piper, "We're trying to find a dress for her to wear to a dress ball."

Angela grinned, her eyes skimming over Piper's form. "I think I may have something," she said, "Come with me."

She led Piper over to a rack of dresses and pulled one out with blue satin ribbons, a low neckline, and pink silk fabric.

"Ooh… It's so pretty," Piper commented.

"Would you like to try?" Angela offered, motioning to the change room just a few steps away.

The navigator nodded, taking the dress and entering the change room, closing and locking the door after her. "I'll be out in a minute!" she told Aerrow.

Angela walked over to Aerrow. "So, are you her boyfriend?" she inquired curiously.

The Sky Knight's face turned as red as his hair. "N-No. I-I'm her commanding officer," he stammered, "We're the Storm Hawks."

Her blue eyes sparkled. "Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks?" she guessed.

He nodded in reply.

"Pardon my asking, but why do you need her in a dress?" Angela implored curiously.

"We need a dress for her to go to this fancy dress ball on Terra Dancia," he explained.

The blonde dipped her head. "I understand. I've heard rumours that the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis are planning to crash the party."

Aerrow gasped, "What?! Cyclonis too?! They must _really_ want that Royal Birthstone."

The door unlocked and Piper stepped out in the dress. It reached the floor and complimented her curves. The dress seemed to be skin-tight, and there was a pink ribbon tied around her neck, a bow on the back.

"So… what do you think?" she asked, twirling around in the dress.

The redhead was speechless. "I-I-It's…"

"Beautiful," Angela finished.

Piper's expression was surprised. "Really? I didn't think it was my style," she admitted, looking at Angela, "You've got anything else?"

The manager motioned to the racks. "We've got lots."

Piper walked over and zipped through the dresses on the rack. Her tangerine gaze suddenly fell on a dark, midnight blue one with orange ribbons. She pulled it off the rack and showed it to Aerrow and Angela.

"How about this one?" she asked.

Aerrow was surprised at how much it fit her. The midnight blue fabric was about the same shade as her hair, except a bit darker, and the orange ribbons were like her eyes and headband.

Angela stated, "Why don't you try it on?"

Piper went back into the change room and in a few minutes, came back out wearing the dress, an orange ribbon tied around her neck with a bow on the back. In the centre of the ribbon, was a glittering white crystal. The dress reached the floor and had a slit on the left side, revealing a bit of her legs. The dress had spaghetti straps and blue satin gloves. To Aerrow, the dress fitted her. She twirled around in it and smiled at them. "So… how's it look?" she implored.

"It's beautiful," Aerrow sighed, turning to Angela, "We'll definitely take it." Then he turned to Piper, "I'll pay. My treat."

"Aww… Aerrow…" Piper whispered, "That's sweet. Thanks." She ran over to him and jumped into his embrace.

Angela smiled at the Sky Knight and Navigator. "Forget about it, it's on the house," she announced.

Both Storm Hawks turned to her, with horrified expression on their faces at her kindness.

"Thank you so much," Piper thanked gratefully.

"It's fine," Angela told them, smiling, "You guys need to stop the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis. So as an in-advance thanks, you guys get to keep the dress for free."

"On behalf of all the Storm Hawks," Aerrow said, grinning, "Thank you."

The blonde shook her head, turning to Piper. "Go get changed and I'll bag it for you."

Piper nodded, thanking her again before re-entering the dressing room.

A few minutes later, Piper came out in her uniform and handed the dress to Angela, who boxed it and bagged it. She handed the bag to Piper and smiled.

"Again, thanks for the dress," the navigator thanked.

"It's no problem," the manager replied cheerfully, "Good luck on your mission, Storm Hawks!"

Aerrow and Piper left the store and began heading towards the west entrance.

Angela looked around before pulling out a radio from under the counter. She spoke into it. "Dark Ace? Tell Master Cyclonis that everything's in place and that the Storm Hawks are guaranteed to show at the party."

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**Ooo... twist/cliffy! YAY CLIFFIES!!!!!!!!! Well... hope you liked this chappie! Please R&R!**


	3. Flirting on the Condor

**Aha... wow... updated three days in a row. lol. three chapters three days. lol. btw... do you guys want Piper to get hurt/killed/fatally/mortally injured? or what? You will find out later why and what this is for, and I hope it will be exciting for most of you who read this fanfic and have kept with it so far. Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and alerts, and I hope you guys like this next chapter. Btw, I hope I got Finn's personality right. lol. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks belong to Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke**

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Chapter Three: Flirting on the Condor

Aerrow stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the red bow on his black tuxedo. Radarr chirped and hopped onto his shoulder, helping the redhead out.

"Thanks Radarr," he said gratefully, "I think I'm all set."

Finn opened the door to his room and leaned in the doorway, whistling. He was wearing one of those waiter's outfits (black vest and white shirt with black pants). "Wow… Piper would think you'd almost be cute," he joked.

"Hah hah. Very funny, Finn," Aerrow retorted sarcastically, "At least I'm not the one wearing a waiter's outfit."

The blonde rolled his blue eyes at him. "You've got a point. Well… you're lucky you have a date, even if it _is_ Piper."

"Hey!" a certain female Storm Hawk exclaimed, "I heard that, Finn!"

Piper ran over to them from her room, all dressed up and prepared. Her hair was down and ironed into waves, the diamond crystal on her choker reflecting the light. Her gloved hands were balled into fists, and her tangerine eyes were fierce and glaring, specifically at Finn.

_Wow… she's pretty cute when she's angry, especially dressed up like that,_ Aerrow thought, blushing_._ "Wow, Piper, you look amazing," he complimented.

"Yeah, now you're actually _worth_ looking at!" Finn shouted before running quickly to the Bridge. Radarr hopped off Aerrow's shoulder and rushed after him.

"UGH!" Piper screamed, "YOU'RE SO ANNOYING FINN!!!!" Then she looked down, pretending to be depressed. "And that hurt."

"Aww…" Aerrow sighed, walking from the mirror and pulling Piper into a hug, "Finn went too far that time. I promise I'll get him later for that."

She looked up. "Thanks, Aerrow. I really appreciate it," she stated happily, concealing her blush. _I was actually joking about that hurting,_ she thought, _Could he… maybe… feel the same was I feel about him? _Then she shook her head fiercely. _No way! He could never like me like _that_! _

"Is something wrong, Piper?" the Sky Knight inquired worriedly.

"No, just wondering how I could get Finn back for his… distasteful comment," she replied.

He laughed, "Don't worry about it, Piper. I'll help you out. Now…" He offered his right arm to her. "Are you ready for the fancy dress ball, Miss Piper?"

She chuckled, slipping her arm through his. "Yep. I'm also ready to give Cyclonis a piece of my mind. Seriously, is she idiotic enough to decide to go to this party? Everyone already _knows_ that either she or the Dark Ace is going to show up," she commented.

"Well… maybe she has a backup plan or something," Aerrow guessed, "Or she planned something that no one would ever suspect."

"Like hiring a doofus like Snipe. I wonder how Ravess deals with it 24/7," she replied, giggling.

"Nevertheless, let's get going. We don't wanna be late," the redhead announced, "By the way, what were the aliases we're going by?"

"Good evening, Mr. Eric Redstun, how are you? My name is Miss Eliza Hawksworth," Piper told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Mr. _Redstun_. Is that the best you could come up with?" he asked unbelievably.

"Well…" she began, "your hair _is_ red."

"And the 'stun'?" he inquired.

"Well… the colour is stunning," she continued. _And you're stunning too, Aerrow_, she added silently.

"By the way, you look _nothing_ like an Eliza," he commented crudely.

"You could say that again!" Finn yelled from the open door of the Bridge.

"Least I'm not like _you_, Sir Jerks-a-lot!" Piper called back angrily. Then she turned back to Aerrow. "And how would _you_ know? You've never even met an 'Eliza' before."

He flushed in embarrassment. "That's true," he admitted, "But you look more like a Piper to me."

She laughed, "I _am_ Piper, you idiot!"

"Aerrow and Piper," Finn sang annoyingly while prancing around like a little girl, "sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"FINN!!!!" they screamed, and immediately the singing stopped.

Suddenly, the intercom went on. "Aerrow, Piper? We're approaching Terra Dancia. Do you mind going to your Skimmers so we _aren't_ doomed to fall to the Cyclonian's wrath?" Stork announced.

Aerrow turned to his navigator. "You ready?" he asked.

She smiled, kneeling and raising a bit of her dress on the front, revealing a part of her energy staff slipped against her black boots. "Yep, how about you?"

He pulled out his energy blades from behind him. "I'm ready to go," he replied cheerfully, "Let's go kick some Cyclonian tail."

They re-hid their weapons and headed off to the Hangar Bay, where they boarded Aerrow's skimmer and flew off. Little did they know, things were _not_ going to go as they planned it would.

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**Yay! Cliffie (not really...) but anyways, please vote/review on whether you want Piper to get hurt/killed, etc... and also tell me what you think on this chapter. **

**Btw, would you all expect Finn to flirt/hit on any girls at the ball? What you say/review for it will MOST DEFINATELY affect the story (or even later chapter). I'm not sure whether I can get another chapter up tomorrow but I'll definately try to get another one before the end of the week... (which I name the end of the week... Sunday, cause I have Chinese school on Saturday)**

**Anyways, please R&R!**


	4. And so it begins

**Okay... due to popular request (by all you awesome reviews! yay! go reviewers!), I'm going to update today! yay! updates! lol. anyways, thanks for all of the comments and replies to my previous two questions from the last chapter, and I've set up how things are going to work! yes there is AerrowxPiper fluff in this chapter, but only because CHAOTIC things are going to happen in the next few. :D **

**Also, yes I know I kinda stole the title of this chapter from Episode 1&2 of Storm Hawks, when Master Cyclonis says, "And then it begins..." lol. I thought it would fit! cause I know lots of people were eager for the actual ball scenes, and so I thought "so now it begins", and then I thought of the title and then I remembered I heard something like it from the 1&2 episode. :D (don't kill me for droning!) lol. **

**Hope you like it! Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks belong to Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke.**

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Chapter Four: And so it begins…

Aerrow landed his skimmer on the landing pad, as did all of the other guests. Piper slid out of the seat behind him.

"Ready?" she asked him.

He nodded, a crooked grin on his face. "Let's get this party started!"

"Um… Aerrow… erm… Mr. Eric Redstun … this is a dress ball, not one of those crazy parties Finn is always interested in going to," Piper commented, giving him the odd look.

The Sky Knight grinned, running a hand through his red hair. "Right, this is more serious," he reminded himself. He shook his head and offered his arm to her. "Miss Hawksworth?"

She smiled and took his arm. "Nice to know you remember my name, Mr. Redstun," she replied.

He pretended to look taken aback. "Eliza! I'm honestly surprised at you! How could you think that I'd forget my own _girlfriend's_ name?!" he gasped.

The navigator's face turned red, about a shade brighter than Aerrow's hair, though you couldn't really tell. She looked down. "Who ever said that our alias' were going out?" she asked.

He grinned. "Who said they weren't?" he countered.

Piper sighed, "Yeah, that's true."

The "couple" walked up to the guest-list checker and the guy asked, "Names, please?"

Aerrow smiled and said, "Eric Redstun, and this is my girlfriend Miss Eliza Hawksworth."

"Ah… so _you're_ the Storm Hawks that are suppose to help catch the Cyclonians?" the checker asked quietly, grinning widely. He had short, dark brown hair and glimmering golden eyes.

Piper smiled as Aerrow looked surprised. "Aerrow, this is my friend Chris, he works here on Terra Dancia. _And_ he's helping to get us in," she explained.

The redhead smiled. "A friend of Piper's is a friend of mine," he said, "Thanks for getting us in."

He shook his head. "No problem, head on inside," he told them, "And by the way, Piper, you look great!"

She giggled, "Thanks, Chris. We'll see you later."

He waved as the couple entered the main ballroom. Christmas lights hung from the tops of the sidewall, false snow sat beside every wall, and there were lots of other people dressed up fancily.

"By the way, Piper, why aren't we using Chroma Crystals?" Aerrow asked his navigator beside him.

"Well… I'm thinking that if Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace sees us here, they'll know that the Storm Hawks are involved and should therefore leave before anyone, meaning them, gets hurt," she explained.

"Ah… smart," Aerrow commented.

Suddenly, a certain familiar blonde waiter came up to them carrying a tray of filled wineglasses.

"Hey guys," Finn greeted cheerfully, offering them to take a glass.

"Hey Finn," Aerrow replied coolly.

Piper shook her head. "You know we don't drink wine, Finn. We're still legally underage," she scolded.

He groaned, "It's sparkling red grape juice. And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

She glared at him and smiled, taking a glass. "Oh, ha, ha. Very funny, Mr. Waiter. As much as I would _love_ to kick your butt right here, I don't want to risk blowing our cover," she warned him, "But I warn you now, you are _sooo_ dead when we get back to the Condor after this."

Aerrow laughed, taking a glass too. "You'd better keep on going, Finn," he told him, knowing that he'd probably be able to make Piper more angrier than she already was, "Keep an eye out for any hints of the Dark Ace _or_ Master Cyclonis. Also watch to see if there is anyone suspicious."

"On it," he said, giving his infamous "Chica-cha" with one of his hands. Then he left, squeezing through the crowd while offering drinks.

"Okay, so we know that Finn's already undercover, kinda…" Piper muttered, "But where's Stork?"

As if on cue, Stork was pushing through the crowd until he saw Aerrow and Piper. He also wore a waiter's outfit like Finn's. "Guys!" he begged, "You've got to get me out of here! Do you _know_ what sort of diseases you can get from spinning around?!"

"Um… it's called a Waltz, Stork," the Sky Knight told him.

The Merb rolled his eyes. "I don't _care_ what it's called! I want to get out of here!" he yelled.

"Stork!" Piper scolded softly, "You're making a scene. If you really want to, just go back to the Condor and keep in contact with us. We'll tell you and Junko to help when it's needed."

"Yes!" Stork exclaimed, running out of the ballroom in a sprint.

Piper sighed and shook her head.

As a new song began to play, Aerrow looked around at the couples and saw them begin to go on the dance floor. "Would you like to dance with me, Piper?" he asked sweetly.

She blushed. "B-But Aerrow! We're suppose to be watching for the Cyclonians!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, we can do both at the same time," he replied simply, dragging her forward, "We'll multitask."

He pulled her close to him, a tight arm around her waist, while he took her hand in his. Then he began to lead her into a Waltz.

She smiled. "I never knew you could Waltz, Aerrow. You're pretty good. And I thought _I_ was good at dancing," she commented quietly, only meant for his ears.

"Well… I think of dancing as an escape from my duties as a Sky Knight," he admitted, "Radarr laughs every time."

She giggled, then she looked up into his emerald eyes. "Aerrow, there's a secret that I've been keeping from you for a long time now. I love you," she whispered.

He smiled, his heart leaping into his throat. "Piper," he stated, wrapping both arms around her waist and twirling her up in the air, "I love you too."

Very gently, Aerrow set her down, then met his lips with hers, unknown that they were being watched in the shadows…

xXxXxXxxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Aw man, this sucks," Finn muttered to himself, "Pretty much almost everyone has a date, even Aerrow and Piper ended up getting together, even if it _was_ just a cover-up."

Suddenly, he saw a single lonely girl standing against one of the pillars in the room. She wore a beautiful orange dress, with spaghetti straps and a large bow on the back. She had creamy orange short gloves, and her long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, slight curls at the end. Her deep blue eyes scanned the room warily, and Finn thought she might be lonely, so he went over there.

"Hello there, Miss. Would you like to dance?" he greeted coolly, bowing and offering his hand, his childish smile on his face.

She giggled and took his hand. "Yes, I would like that, thank you."

As he led her onto the dance floor where Aerrow and Piper were, he asked, "What's your name?"

She grinned meekly. "My name is Angela."

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**ooooO... Cliffy! Yay! More cliffies! Finn sure does love to get himself into odd situations, doesn't he? like a) flirt with the enemy. b) ask the enemy to dance, and c) NOT FIGURE OUT THE ENEMY IS THE ENEMY UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE! lol. **

**Also, btw, I forgot to mention this, but for all you Tokyo Mew Mew/Mew Mew Power fans who also are reading this fanfic, does Ryou/Elliot have a mansion (recalls from Mew Mew Power ep: Dance Till You Mew)? Please let me know cause this affects a Mew Mew Power fanfic I am currently writing. (man I write a lot of fanfics...lol)**

**Please Review!**


	5. Unveiling of the Royal Birthstone

**So.... it's the weekends, and I just finished my Chinese mid-term today. So now I have lots of time to update! Yay for updating! and also due to popular (kinda lol) request, here's the next chapter to Dance Away, Dance Away, Dance Away All! Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke**

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Chapter Five: Unveiling of the Royal Birthstone

"So… the name's Finn," Finn began, "You come here often?"

Angela chuckled, "What are you talking about? Of _course_ not! I own a designer store on Terra Shoppers. I think you might have heard of it before, Angela's Designer Dresses?"

"Oh…" he replied, "Hey, two of my friends went there recently and received a free dress or something."

Suddenly, she started to get nervous. "S-So… you know them?" she stammered.

He smirked, "Yeah, my buddy Aerrow's the leader of the Storm Hawks. And Piper's the navigator and tactician of the team. Sometimes I think she can be a real snob."

"A-Are they any good? At fighting, I mean," she asked randomly.

"Yeah, Piper's a master at Sky Fu, and Aerrow's a really great Sky Knight. Personally, if Aerrow and Piper had a fight, I don't know who's win," he replied.

Angela gulped. _If Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace decide to execute their plan, then I know that Sky Knight will probably be on my tail for what's going to happen to that girl…_

"Hello? Angela, hey, you okay?" Finn asked worriedly, swinging a hand in front of her face, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, everything's fine," she lied.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Aerrow and Piper were keeping their eyes open for any signs of Master Cyclonis or the Dark Ace.

"See them?" the Sky Knight asked quietly, twirling Piper around.

"Not yet," she replied, "But they'll show up sooner or later. I just know it."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

At another place in the large ballroom, was a blonde girl in a long purple dress and a man in a dark-grey tux. They were dancing smoothly.

"Do you think this will work, Master Lark?" the man asked, tightening his grip on her hand.

"Of course, Larry. Do you doubt my plans?" Lark hissed back.

He hesitated. "No Master. I don't think the Storm Hawks will know what hit them," he replied honestly. His grip suddenly tightened around her waist, drawing her closer. "But Master, may I ask one thing?"

"Of course, _Ace_," she replied.

"Will _that_ crystal affect Aerrow in any way?" he implored.

The 'blonde' shook her head. "Of course not, why do you ask?"

He grinned evilly. "I want to take him down myself."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Suddenly, the music stopped, and everyone's attention was drawn to one side of the room, where a huge table was.

"Presenting the Master of Ceremonies, Lark and Larry Evans," a announcer called.

Two suspicious looking people came forward. One of them was Lark, aka Master Cyclonis, and the other one, Aerrow suspected, must be the Dark Ace.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Christmas Dress Ball!" Lark announced, grinning, "Larry and I are pleased to be your Masters of Ceremonies tonight."

"Now, we are here to present to you the Royal Birthstone, the crystal that could name the next king or queen of Atmos," 'Larry' added.

__

So the Master of Ceremonies are the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis?!

Piper thought frantically. She turned to Aerrow beside her. "Aerrow, we've got to do something!" she hissed.

"I know," he replied, "But we can't be too rash, remember. Who knows how many of these people could also be Cyclonians? We'd be outnumbered."

A cart began to roll in from one side to the front of the table. A square glass case rested on top, covered with a large white cloth.

"I present to you, the Royal Birthstone!" Lark announced, taking the fabric and flipping it off the case.

Everyone in the crowd gasped in surprise. A floating golden crystal lay inside the glass case, a symbol etched onto the face of it.

Immediately, Aerrow and Piper drew out their weapons and pointed them at them.

"Give it up, Master Cyclonis!" Aerrow yelled, "Don't even think about stealing that crystal!"

Lark chuckled, then touched the necklace around her neck, and transformed back into Master Cyclonis. 'Larry' pulled out a Chroma Crystal from his pocket and dropped it, transforming back into the Dark Ace.

"I knew it," Piper hissed, "Everyone get out!"

Immediately, all of the guests ran out of the room, with the exception of Piper, Aerrow, Finn, Angela, Dark Ace, and Cyclonis.

Finn drew out his crossbow and stood protectively in front of Angela. "Angela, get out of here!" he ordered.

She looked guiltily at him but didn't move.

"Angela, I said get outta here!" he repeated, looking at her.

"Finn, I can't. I'm with them," she admitted, knocking his crossbow down and moving over towards Cyclonis and Dark Ace.

"W-What?!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief, "Are you kidding me?!"

"W-Wait, you're that girl from that dress shop," Aerrow realized, "You were the one who gave us the dress!"

Cyclonis cackled, "And that's no ordinary dress! And this isn't the _real_ Royal Birthstone either!" She activated the unknown crystal inside the glass case and suddenly the crystal choker around Piper's neck began to glow and construct, crushing Piper's windpipe.

Piper cringed and fell to her knees, her hands desperately trying to grasp at the choker, which was _really_ choking her.

"Piper!" Aerrow exclaimed, dropping to her side and trying his best to help her. He turned to look at Cyclonis, desperation in his eyes. "Stop! You're killing her!" he cried.

Cyclonis snapped her fingers and the glowing stopped. Piper fell onto her side, gasping for air. The Dark Ace smiled as Aerrow went by her side, trying to help remove the necklace, but for some reason, now it wouldn't budge.

"Well… it seems you're not invincible after all, Aerrow," he teased, "I know what your weakness is now."

Aerrow growled, reaching for his energy blades.

"Don't even think about it," Cyclonis warned, "That's not all that crystal can do."

This time, the Dark Ace clapped his hands twice, and jolts of electricity coursed through Piper's body. She cried out in agony.

"Stop it!" Aerrow howled, "Please, just stop hurting her."

The Dark Ace clapped his hands again and the electricity stopped. Piper began heaving deep breaths.

"A-Aerrow…" she rasped weakly.

"Piper," he mumbled affectionately, grasping her hand tightly, "I'll get you outta this somehow, I promise."

Cyclonis chuckled, "You can try, Aerrow. But you know, one wrong move, and I can kill her right here."

The Sky Knight gritted his teeth in frustration. Finn stood there helpless, as his crossbow was knocked to the other side of the room.

____

Come on!

Aerrow thought desperately,_ I've gotta think of something and quick! Piper's life is at stake here! If I make one wrong move…_ He looked down at Piper,

_I'm going to lose her…_

_

* * *

**Oooo... more cliffies! yay cliffies! Please R&R!**_

**Btw, I hope I'm not being too mean to Piper. Just wait till you see what ELSE is going to happen to her. (poor Aerrow might get nightmares from this)**


	6. Choices

**So... I thought I'd update it. Hmm... with all the drama, this chapter (I find anyways) very dramatic. lol. I'm thinking I could either kill Piper off or let her live... hmm... well... the poll-y type question will be at the veerrrryyy bottom. lol. Hope you likey! Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke**

* * *

Chapter Six: Choices

"What else do you want, Master Cyclonis?" Aerrow spat acidly, "You already have the Royal Birthstone."

The Goth girl smiled, drawing out her crystal staff. "To see you suffer. And to destroy the Storm Hawks," she replied, "But, I'll give you _one_ chance to save your little Piper there. Fight me in a one-on-one duel. If you win, I'll let Piper go. If you lose, Piper dies."

"Aerrow! Don't do it, man!" Finn shouted.

"Finn's right. How do I know that you won't kill Piper even if I _do_ win?" the Sky Knight challenged.

"Well… you're just going to have to trust us," the Dark Ace replied simply. He walked up to them and pulled Piper up onto her feet and dragged her over beside Master Cyclonis, where he forced her onto her knees and drew out his energy sword. Aerrow glared as he watched the blade light up with a bloody light and held it near Piper's throat.

"Well? What's your decision?" Cyclonis taunted.

Aerrow stood up. "I'll fight," he said.

"Don't do it, Aerrow!" Piper shouted, which resulted in getting slapped by Cyclonis.

"Quiet! If you value your lives, you'll say nothing," she hissed, snapping her fingers.

Suddenly, dozens of Cyclonians stormed the ballroom, and they all held crystal staffs, pointing them threateningly at Finn and Aerrow.

"Angela! Why don't you do something?!" Finn yelled.

The blonde looked down. "My duty is to Master Cyclonis. There is nothing I can do," she replied.

Cyclonis walked over to Aerrow, picking up his blades and handing them to him. "Here, I at least want to defeat you in a fair fight."

He glared. "You're never going to get away with this," he threatened.

She cackled, "I don't think you're in the position to be making threats here." She pointed her staff at him. "Now, let's begin our duel."

Immediately, Aerrow's eyes narrowed as he jumped into the air and struck his blades against her staff and was sent flying back.

_She's gotten stronger_, he thought, _If things keep going in this direction…_ He blocked several quick blows, _I'm going to lose._

Suddenly, Junko broke through the wall and bashed through a hoard of Cyclonians, knocking Finn's crossbow back over to him. "Need help, good buddy?" he asked him.

"Yeah! Thanks Junko!" the blonde sharpshooter replied, taking aim and beginning to shoot his arrows, disarming some Cyclonian troops.

Cyclonis screamed in frustration and glared at a grinning Aerrow.

"Looks like things have changed," he said.

"But I still have one thing to overpower you," she reminded him, turning to Piper, who was still held captive by the Dark Ace.

"You wouldn't," Aerrow hissed.

She smirked. "I would, and I will," she announced, running over to the Dark Ace.

Aerrow pursued her at once.

"Now!" Cyclonis yelled, and the Dark Ace blasted a hole in the wall, revealing the night sky.

"No!" Aerrow screamed as the Dark Ace slit Piper's lower neck, letting her fall from his grasp onto the cold floor. Blood began to pool around her neck.

In cold fury, the redhead chased the Dark Ace and Cyclonis out of the building, while Radarr, who dodged all of the Cyclonians' feet, scrambled over to Piper's side. He quickly checked her pulse, she was still alive, but just barely. The furry blue co-pilot looked around, and saw that all of the Cyclonians had been defeated.

"That's one for the Storm Hawks," Finn proclaimed, doing his infamous 'Chica-cha'.

"We did it!" Junko cheered.

Radarr squawked, drawing their attention to Piper and the red pool around her.

"Piper!" Finn called, and both he and Junko ran over and dropped to their friend's side.

"Where's Aerrow?" Junko asked frantically.

"I-I don't know. He ran after Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace," the blonde replied. He looked around. _So, Angela left too…_

"We've got to stop the bleeding," Junko said, ripping the white cloth of the table and pressing it gently against Piper's neck.

Now they only hoped that it wasn't too late for her.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Outside, Aerrow continued to pursue the Dark Ace and Cyclonis. Fury could be seen in his eyes. He had just watched the Cyclonians slay the only one he loved with his whole heart, and now he was desperate for revenge.

"Dark Ace!" he shouted angrily, "Come back here!"

The Dark Ace turned to Cyclonis and Angela. "You two go on ahead. I'll deal with Aerrow myself," he told them, turning around and holding his energy sword defensively.

"How dare you…" Aerrow hissed, eyes blazing with cold anger, "How dare you just slay my best friend and turn on your heels like the coward you are… Do you have _any_ idea what you've just done?!"

The Dark Ace smiled. "I got rid of part of the problem," he replied, smirking.

This made Aerrow even angrier. "You just _murdered_ my one true love!" he screamed, attacking blindly, taking the Dark Ace by complete surprise.

_So this is Aerrow when he's furious,_ the Cyclonian commander thought, _He should most definitely be a Talon, like he'd ever agree to that._

Suddenly, it surprised the Dark Ace to see tears in Aerrow's eyes as he fought and slashed blindly. It surprised him so much that he fell back onto his behind. Aerrow had his blades pointed threateningly at him. Tears dripped from his eyes onto the ground below.

"A-Aerrow…" the Dark Ace hissed.

The Sky Knight turned away as tears continued to stream down his face, gripping his energy blades tightly. "I-I won't kill you. I know Piper wouldn't want that… So for her… I'll let you live… But I _will_ take back the Royal Birthstone,"

Reluctantly, the Dark Ace handed him the golden crystal from his pocket. He knew that if he tried anything rash, Aerrow would most likely end up killing him. The Sky Knight took the crystal and gripped it tightly in his hand before slipping it into his pocket. Then without another word, he began to walk back towards the building.

The Cyclonian commander stood up and stared after the redhead. "So… that's what it must feel like to lose someone important to you," he mumbled to himself, "I better prepare myself for the next time I meet Aerrow in battle." Then he walked away towards his Switchblade Elite, letting his defeat wash over him.

Meanwhile, Aerrow walked back quietly through the hole in the wall. He saw his team all kneeling on the floor over Piper. Her eyes were closed and her body was motionless.

"Piper!" he yelled, hoping that it just wasn't too late and that the dreadful feeling he was getting was wrong.

* * *

**Oooo... cliffy again. lol. I sure is evil with all sortsa cliffies all over the place. lol. **

**Now... question for all people who read this, should I make it a happy ending? sad ending? or don't end this fanfic just yet? (and you're not allowed to say it's my choice. lol.)**

**Please R&R!**


	7. A Storm Hawk's Decision

**Well... I thought I'd update, cause it's very exciting. Anyways, this chapter is Aerrow angst/torture. lol. Hope you likey! Thanks to all of those reviewers out there who've reviewed past chapters!!!! Much appreciated! Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke**

* * *

Chapter Seven: A Storm Hawk's Decision

"Piper!" Aerrow yelled, running over to the group.

"She's still alive," Junko reassured.

Finn's bright blue eyes dimmed. "But she's not going to make it," he whispered.

"No!" the redhead screamed, dropping to her side, taking her into his arms, "Piper… wake up…"

Her tangerine eyes half-opened and she stared up into Aerrow's eyes. A bloody cloth was bound around where the Dark Ace cut her. "Aerrow…" she rasped, "I'm sorry."

"Why? Don't speak like that. You're going to be fine," Aerrow said.

Suddenly, Stork ran in from the front doors, panting. "I've got that crystal analyzed. It's a Torture Stone, and the wearer is doomed to die from the poison released by the crystal upon the first activation," he explained hurriedly.

There was an awkward silence as the words sank in.

"No…" Aerrow choked, "NO!"

Piper reached up to touch his face with a gloved hand. "It's okay, Aerrow. I'm ready. Just let me go, okay?"

He shook his head furiously. "No, Piper, it's not okay. I'm not willing to let you go," he refused.

"Yeah, he's right. We still need you," Finn agreed.

"You're an important member of our team," Junko added.

Radarr whimpered in agreement.

Piper closed her eyes and smiled. "I know you'll do fine without me. Atmos still needs the Storm Hawks," she sighed.

Aerrow gently kissed her, pressing his forehead against hers. "Yeah, _all_ of them."

She stared into his eyes. "You're so stubborn, Aerrow," she muttered, "and I love you."

"I love you too," he replied back.

"Goodbye, Storm Hawks," she sighed, "I'll miss you all, even you, Finn."

Finn forced a smiled, trying to keep from crying.

Piper looked up into her Sky Knight's eyes. "And I'll miss you most of all, Aerrow," she whispered. Her eyes closed for the last time, and with a final sigh, her body went rigid.

Aerrow felt his navigator go still, and immediately he knew she was dead. He shook her gently, trying to suppress the emotion building up inside.

"She's gone, Aerrow," Stork stated quietly.

The Sky Knight shook his head stubbornly. Tears leaked from his emerald eyes and fell onto Piper's dress. "No! No! No!" he yelled, "Piper! Piper please! Wake up! Please, just open your eyes!" His yells turned into cried, which then turned into sobs. He sobbed endlessly into Piper's shoulder as she lay dead on the side of the large ballroom.

Moments later, Junko burst into reckless sobs, and Finn hugged him, tears leaking from his own blue eyes. Radarr cried and huddled close against Aerrow and Piper, knowing how much chemistry there was between them. Stork bowed his head and sniffled, tears dripping from his face. He knew that Piper's body could hold so many different infections, but he didn't care. Piper had been a wonderful friend, comrade and ally.

_I've lost the only girl I could ever love, _Aerrow thought,_ I could have prevented it all. If only I hadn't confronted the Dark Ace and Cyclonis. If only I had suspected Angela from the start. Then maybe Piper would still be here, alive, with me._

He lifted her body into his arms and began to walk out of the ballroom.

"A-Aerrow?" Finn asked worriedly, drying tears from his own eyes.

The redhead didn't look back, and kept his eyes downcast. "Come on, guys. We should get going. We need to return the Royal Birthstone to Terra Atmosia," he ordered bluntly, letting no emotion show through, "Piper would have wanted it." His voice broke when he mentioned Piper's name.

"What happened to the Dark Ace?" Stork inquired.

"Escaped," he half-lied, walking out. The rest of the Storm Hawks followed with heavy hearts.

They boarded the Condor and took off. Aerrow laid Piper on her bed in her room, then stood on the deck of the Condor, staring up into the midnight sky, which was covered in stars. Tears streamed down his face as he felt a part of him die inside with Piper's death.

Up there in the skies, Aerrow knew, a single bright star died out.

* * *

**First of all, this chapter is called "A Storm Hawk's Decision" because it's Piper's decision that she's ready to leave the Storm Hawks and move on. But the truth is, she doesn't want to leave as much as Aerrow wants either, but she knows there's no other way. Angst, much? **

**By the way, please don't kill me for killing Piper off. I tell you all now: SHE'LL COME BACK! Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter (not to mention get all the personalities right...) **

**Sorry this chapter is so short. I didn't want Aerrow to suffer too much angst of losing Piper...**

**P****lease R&R!**


	8. A Sky Knight's Decision

**Well... the last chapter wasn't as popular as I hoped, but ah well... hopefully this chapter will do much better. lol. Please keep reviewing!!!!!!! R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke**

* * *

Chapter Eight: A Sky Knight's Decision

An hour later, Finn silently walked onto the deck, watching his leader with worried blue eyes. Radarr was on his heels.

"Aerrow?" the sharpshooter asked quietly, "Come on, it's time for bed. We're arriving on Terra Atmosia tomorrow. We need to be awake and alert when we meet with the Sky Knight Council."

The redhead closed his eyes, not moving. He took a deep breath in and sighed. "Okay, Finn. Just give me a moment," he replied.

Radarr scampered up to him and crawled onto his shoulder, where he whimpered worriedly.

"I know, buddy," the Sky Knight sighed, staring up into the stars, "I miss her too. I only wish there was some way to bring her back," he whispered sadly.

10 minutes later, Aerrow had crawled into bed, Radarr curled up in a ball beside him.

_Could I have done anything to prevent Piper's death?_ Aerrow thought miserably, _If there was, it's my fault I didn't do it._

He closed his eyes and tried to rest, and soon, he fell into a disturbed sleep.

__

Piper, getting her throat cut open by the Dark Ace… lying in his arms, bleeding…. She, who he loved so much, lying on the ground being stabbed repeatedly in the chest by a heartless Dark Ace… Red, blood red, the crimson liquid pooling around her… Nothing he can do… Cyclonis, blasting Piper with a crystal that snaps her neck and she falls, lifeless, to the ground. The Oracle, floating in front of him. "You can still save her..." she whispers as they watch Piper die.

"NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Aerrow screamed, snapping upright in bed.

In surprise, Radarr jumped and fell off the bed, colliding with the hard metal floor.

Instantly, Finn, Junko and Stork ran into his room, flipping on the lights.

"Aerrow! What's wrong?!" Junko demanded.

"Are there mindworms?!" Stork screamed, eyes twitching crazily.

The redhead shook his head. "Sorry for waking you up guys. I had a nightmare, that's all," he reassured, forcing a smile.

"Was it about Piper?" Finn guessed.

He nodded, closing his emerald eyes. Then they shot open again as he jumped out of bed, running out of the room. "Piper!" he yelled.

The rest of the Storm Hawks followed him to Piper's room, and when the door slide open, they saw a glowing figure floating over Piper's still form.

"Who are you?!" Finn shouted.

Aerrow's eyes widened. "I-It's you…" he whispered, "I-It's the Oracle…"

"The Oracle?!" the rest of the team gasped.

The woman nodded and turned to Aerrow, her purple eyes glowing. "I heard your wish, Sky Knight" she said, "and because you have set me free in the past, I will tell you of one way to bring her back."

"Please!" Junko exclaimed.

"We'll do almost anything!" Finn added.

Their leader stood wordlessly, letting her proposition sink in. _I could see those beautiful orange eyes again,_ he thought, _and hold her warm body in my arms._

"Sky Knight Aerrow," the Oracle addressed, clenching one hand tightly, "only _you_ may be able to bring her back." She opened her hand, and a sharp ceremonial dagger rested in it. "Only with your sacrifice, may you bring her back."

The dagger had a light blue crystal embedded at the very end of the hilt, and thick metal wires wound itself along the hilt. The knife seemed to be quite old-fashioned (considering they didn't _have_ daggers like this in Atmos), and was nothing like the Storm Hawk's had ever seen before.

Radarr jumped onto his shoulder and began to tug him back, not wanting to lose his best friend.

"Isn't there any other way?" Finn begged.

"We're not interested in losing our leader," Stork agreed.

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but only _he_ can bring the girl back," she told them.

"Aerrow… don't do this…" Junko told him.

The Oracle placed the dagger on Piper's table. She turned back to the red-haired Sky Knight to instruct him. "The way to bring her back is that by sunset tomorrow, you must plunge that dagger into your own heart, and as you die, you will reunite briefly in spirit before you must move on. And as she comes back, your body will disappear," she explained, "Choose wisely, Sky Knight, for your decision may affect the outcome of Atmos' delicate future."

Then in a flash of brilliant purple light, she vanished without a trace.

"Aerrow, we all know how much you loved her, but she wouldn't have wanted this," Finn reasoned, "Besides, we still need you to lead us. Even if Piper comes back, she'll be an emotional wreck knowing that you sacrificed yourself for her, and the Storm Hawks would fall apart."

"And how do you think Radarr would feel about that?" Junko added, motioning to the small blue creature tugging at Aerrow's pant-leg.

Aerrow's green eyes stared into the yellow eyes of his best friend and co-pilot, seeing the truth in his eyes. Immediately, he felt his heart being torn into two. He loved Piper dearly and believed it was _his_ fault for getting her killed, but if he died, he would be hurting the rest of his team, and they needed him now. He knew no one else had beaten the Dark Ace except for him, and he knew that unless others learned to take down the Dark Ace, they would most certainly be killed.

_What should I do?_ He thought, _Which one is more important: Piper or the Atmos?_

Immediately, he knew that the answer was. He silently walked over to where the dagger was, and removed it off the table.

"No, Aerrow, don't!" Stork pleaded.

"We need you, buddy!" Junko added desperately.

"I'm sorry," the Sky Knight whispered, before lifting the dagger high into the air.

Finn yelled, "No! Aerrow! Don't do it!"

_I love you, Piper,_ Aerrow thought, plunging the dagger into the cover of a book on Piper's desk. The book was a story about a tragedy within a squadron, and Piper had been reading it before the mission on Terra Dancia came up. It was called, "Tragedy in the Skies", and it was based off a true story. Now Aerrow knew how true the story could be.

He had completely scared the rest of the Storm Hawks with his near-suicide attempt. Now they were utterly relieved, and at the same time, very sad.

Fresh tears dripped from Aerrow's cheeks and onto the cover of the book. "I'm sorry, Piper, but the guys need me to lead them. I love you so much, and I'm sorry for not realizing that Angela was a Cyclonian earlier," he sobbed, falling onto his knees and holding onto the hilt of the knife with both hands.

Radarr hopped onto the redhead's shoulder and hugged his neck, letting the Sky Knight know that he would always be there for him.

_It hurts to see him this way, _Junko thought miserably.

Finn's eyes were pained. _I never knew he loved her so much,_ he thought sadly.

Stork sniffed. "I think this depressing mood might be contagious," he choked quietly.

"We've got to do something to help him," Junko whispered to Finn.

"But what?" he retorted.

Aerrow soon stopped sobbing and stood up, bending down to kiss Piper one more time before leaving her room. No one stopped him from leaving, and immediately, they knew how hard it was for Aerrow to do what he had just done.

Aerrow, last descendent of the original Storm Hawks, Sky Knight of the new Storm Hawks squadron, had turned his back on a friend, his one true love, for the sake of Atmos and it's inhabitants.

* * *

**So... what have we learned from this chapter? You tell me... But what I've learned, is that it's hard being a Sky Knight sometimes (Especially in Aerrow's current situation). Hope you liked the drama so far! Tell me how you liked it and what you want to see later on!**

**Please R&R! (and thanks to those reviewers who are so good at what they do!)**


	9. The Spirit of the Past

**Okay... now the countdown begins. I am hoping to finish this fanfic by Christmas Day, and so it will be one chapter updated per day. ALMOST guarenteed. The reason being is that this fanfic IS suppose to be Christmasy, and so it's best to finish it on Christmas. lol. What a way to go, huh? anyways, now it begins the Christmasy based part. Hope you like it!  
Also, note that the Oracle says the 21st of December cause I wrote this last night. lol, so that means there may be two updated chapters today.**

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) of Ace Fipke and Nerd Corps**

* * *

Chapter Nine: The Spirit of the Past

"Aerrow? Are you okay, buddy?" Junko asked worriedly, standing in Aerrow's doorway, watching the Sky Knight as he lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Radarr lay beside him, curled up in a ball, his eyes open, thinking.

The redhead sighed, "Yeah, Junko. I'm fine. I'm just a bit… shaken."

"We know how you feel," Finn said, walking into his room, "That's a low blow; forcing us to lose our Sky Knight in return for our navigator? It's just not right."

"But what _else_ can we do?" Junko asked, "Cause if we just do nothing… Piper will never come back…"

"And we absolutely _cannot_ let that happen," Aerrow announced determinedly, getting off his bed and looking at the two Storm Hawks. Radarr hopped onto his shoulder and squawked in agreement.

"But what other way can we save her?" Finn questioned, "It not like we can find a crystal to bring her back. There's no such thing as a Resurrection Crystal."

The redhead raised an eyebrow and gave a crooked grin. "Or _is_ there?" he said, walking out of the room and heading to Piper's.

"Aerrow? What are you thinking?" Junko implored, confused.

"I'm thinking that if there _is_ such thing as a Resurrection Crystal, it would be recorded in Piper's crystal log book," he replied, standing in front of Piper's door.

He opened it and gasped in shock. Piper's body was gone!

"Piper! Piper? Piper?!" he yelled, "What happened here?! Where did Piper go?!"

"Dude… that's just weird…" Finn trailed off, "Where could she be? It's not like she could have just gotten up and walked off somewhere."

Aerrow was devastated. First he had led Piper get killed. Second, he chose to save the Atmos instead of helping her, knowing it was the right thing to do. And now… he's lost her body. What kind of good Sky Knight boyfriend was he?

Suddenly, the ghostly figure of the Oracle floated from the ceiling in front of them. "Do not fear, your friend's body is with me," she reassured.

"Why did you take Piper?" Aerrow demanded angrily.

"I understood how you felt about choosing between her and saving the future, and so I am taking your navigator to meet four certain friends of mine. After visiting those four, she will be given a choice to either return here with the Storm Hawks or moving on into the next life," she explained.

"If she chooses to return to us, about what day will she be returning on?" Finn questioned.

The Oracle pointed to the calendar sitting on Piper's desk. "Today is the 21st of December. If Piper decides to return, she will be back on the 25th," she replied.

"On Christmas Day…" Junko trailed off.

"Can we do anything to help her?" Aerrow inquired desperately.

She shook her head. "No, you are not permitted to influence her decision. The decision is hers and hers alone," she stated bluntly.

The redhead bowed his head knowledgeable. "Very well, I will leave her in your care," he said, leaving the room.

The others followed him back to his own room, where he sat down, sighing, on his bed.

"Aerrow? So that's it? We're just going to leave her?" Junko asked, tears forming at the corner of his grey eyes.

"There's nothing we can do for Piper now. It's all up to her," Aerrow replied miserably.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Finn retorted, "What happens if she decides to leave us?"

The Sky Knight closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Then we are forced to accept her decision and continue our duty to save and protect Atmos," he forced himself to say. _Please Piper,_ he thought urgently, _You wouldn't _really_ leave us, would you? Would you leave behind everything and everyone you know and move on into the afterlife? Would you really leave _me_? I love you…_

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Piper opened her eyes to find herself lying on a white surface. She was still wearing her midnight blue dress, but the bloodstains were gone. When she touched her neck where the Dark Ace had formerly cut her, the wound was gone, like it had never happened. She sat up and looked around to find herself in the middle of nowhere. She was surrounded by white.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud.

Suddenly, a shimmering silhouette of a woman appeared before her. She could be fully seen now, and was wearing a long, flowing light green dress, with long brown hair and soft golden eyes. She was a slim figure and had a white Tiger Lily in her hair, tucked behind her right ear.

"Hello Piper," she greeted in a soft voice.

"W-Who are you?" Piper asked, amazed, "And how do you know my name?"

She giggled. "My name is Laura, and I am the Spirit of the Past. I know everything about you Piper," she replied.

"So, Laura," the navigator began, "where are we? And why am I here? Why are _you_ here? I thought I was dead."

Laura's golden eyes softened. "Piper, you _are_ dead. You are drifting in between both in the world of the living and the dead, because Death has claimed you but yet, you are still greatly needed by Aerrow and the Storm Hawks on Atmos. I am here to show you your past. After my visit, you will be visited by three other spirits; the Spirit of the Present, the Ghost of the Future, and the Angel of Love. Afterwards, you are to make a decision whether to return to the living, or choose to move on to the afterlife, where you will be promised eternal happiness," she explained.

"Of course I want to go back to Atmos! I've got people I love there!" Piper exclaimed impatiently.

"Believe me, Piper. The decision is a lot harder than it sounds. After you are visited by the other three spirits, I believe you will understand," the spirit retorted.

"So… are you like the 'Ghost of Christmas Past' from that Charles Dickens novel, '_A Christmas Carol'?" the navigator inquired curiously._

She shrugged easily. "I suppose, but we _are_ different in various ways. Now come, it is time to revisit your past."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"I miss Piper already…" Junko sobbed, blowing his nose into a tissue. They were all on the Bridge, trying to continue on with life without Piper.

Finn placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to remain positive. "It's okay, Junko. Don't worry. Piper will come back, I just know it," he reassured, "She won't leave us."

"I really hope so, Finn," he replied, sniffing.

Aerrow looked at the Wallop with saddened eyes. "I do too, Junko. I do too."

* * *

**Well.... here's this chapter. I'm not going to go into detail with Piper's past cause I have no idea how to do it, AND I want to keep things as it is and not go too OCC, cause I'm trying to imagine this as an actual episode. (Plus, there will be an Origin episode later on within the Storm Hawks 52-episode demands, so I want to keep things simple). Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter, and keep on it for the next few days. Remember! The countdown begins!**

**Please R&R! Much appreciated!**


	10. The Spirit of the Present

**Well... as I promised, the next chapter! I'll update the next Chapter tomorrow, where things will REALLY take a turn. lol. anyways, I hope you like this chapter! (and that I didn't make Aerrow out of character!) lol. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) of Ace Fipke and Nerd Corps**

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Chapter Ten: The Spirit of the Present

Piper shook her head in surprise as she and the Spirit of the Past returned to the empty white world. "Wow… I never realized how peaceful things were then compared to what it is now," she commented.

Laura smiled. "Now, Piper, I must bid you farewell. It is time for my friend Adrian, the Spirit of the Present, to come visit you," she announced.

"Will I ever see you again?" the navigator asked curiously.

She nodded. "If need be, you can summon me through your dreams. I'll be here when you need me to be," she replied, smiling. Then she winked. "But I don't think you'll need me if you choose to return to your Sky Knight," she teased.

Piper blushed and the spirit laughed.

"Farewell, Piper," Laura said, and then she disappeared in a flurry of glitters.

The dark-skinned girl looked around the world in between life and death. "It's so quiet here," she said to herself, "and it's so peaceful."

"I know, isn't it?" a male voice questioned, sighing.

The Storm Hawk jumped and spun around towards the voice. It was a young male with short messy brown hair and light chestnut eyes. He was wearing a sleeveless brown tunic over a long, dark blue shirt with long black slacks. He looked about the age of 15.

"Hello Piper," he greeted, grinning, "I'm Adrian, the Spirit of the Present. Truth be told, I also reside in Atmos, on Terra Atmosia with my girlfriend, Kara. We're both Sky Knights. But you'll be meeting her later, so enough about that. Now… let's talk about you. I suppose Laura has explained everything to you?"

Piper nodded. "Um… y-you're rather… cheerful…" she stammered.

He laughed. "Yeah, cause I know how you miss Aerrow and how he misses you, and that kinda reminds me of how I miss my girlfriend," he explained, shrugging, "and so then I realize how different the situations are and I find that amusing." Then he winked. "And since I know you're going to make the right decision after we've all talked to you, I'm cheerful!" he finished, giving her a boyish grin.

"You kinda remind me of Finn…" Piper commented, cocking her head at him, trying to imagine him being Finn.

Adrian put his hands up in front of him defensively. "Don't look at me. I'm _nothing_ like that Sharpshooter," he retorted, "Believe me, he forgets that he has that extra jar of hair gel whenever Radarr steals the other one."

"You mean that unopened jar in that back of the mirror cabinet in the bathroom?" Piper guessed.

"You got it! That's the one," he retorted happily.

"By the way, Adrian? What's the date? I can't really tell in this white, empty world," she questioned curiously.

"It's the 22nd. You only met Laura yesterday," he replied.

"The 22nd?! Already?! It only feels like a few hours!" she exclaimed in surprise.

He shrugged lightly. "Well… time passes when you're looking at the past. Now, speaking of time, it's time we move onto business. We're going to take a little trip to a very familiar place. I think you'd know it anywhere." He snapped his fingers and suddenly they appeared on board a very familiar airship, in the Hangar Bay.

"We're on… we're on…" Piper whispered, "We're on the Condor!"

He nodded, his smile disappearing. "Yes, we are. There is something you need to see…" he said gravely, turning towards the hallway. He walked towards Aerrow's room and walked through the door.

Piper hesitated a moment before following. She saw Aerrow sitting on his bed, looking down at something in his hands. It was Piper's crystal necklace that she normally would wear with her uniform. Adrian stood next to him, staring sadly at the necklace. Piper walked over and sat down beside Aerrow.

"Aerrow? What's wrong?" she implored.

"Piper, he can't hear you. No one can, only spirits like me. You're dead, remember?" Adrian said quietly.

"Oh Piper…" Aerrow sobbed, clenching the necklace tightly, "Please, come back to me. I miss you so much."

"Oh Aerrow, I miss you too," Piper whispered, placing her hand over his, but it went through.

"We're only spirits now, Piper, until we return to the living world, we're only ghosts to them. There is nothing we can do at this point in time," Adrian told her sadly.

"B-B-But…" she choked, "We have to comfort him somehow!"

The spirit shook his head. Then he looked towards the entrance as the door opened and Finn walked in, his blue eyes sad. Suddenly, the Condor's alarms went off.

"Aerrow?" the blonde implored worriedly, "Are you okay? We need you to tell us what to do. The Cyclonians are attacking. T-The Dark Ace is leading them."

"Let them come, Finn… there's no point…" he whispered, not looking up.

"Aww… come on, man. Think what Piper would want. She would be furious if she saw you like this," the Sharpshooter retorted.

"He's right," Piper agreed, "I would be angry, and disappointed."

The Condor suddenly shook. Aerrow closed his eyes and thought hard. _What would Piper have wanted me to do?_ Then he stood up. "You're right, Finn. I miss her so much, but if she saw me now, giving up, she would be disappointed. So for her, and the rest of the Storm Hawks, I'll stay strong. I'm going to get revenge for Piper," he announced, "Gear up and tell the others! Prepare for battle, Storm Hawks!" Then he ran out of the room, Finn following.

"Oh Aerrow," Piper sighed, "Please be alright."

"Do not fear, Piper," Adrian reassured calmly, "he will be alright. I'd know, I'm friends with the Spirit of the Future."

"So… does that mean your girlfriend is the Angel of Love?" the navigator pointed out.

He laughed. "You're very observant, Piper. Did Laura tell you that the fourth spirit was the Angel of Love?" he implored.

She nodded, not understanding what was so funny.

"Well… Kara isn't the Angel of Love. That would be Aurora. No, Kara is the Guardian of Atmos. She's… different than normal Sky Knights. Yeah… she has powers that are _way_ beyond imagination. On Terra Atmosia, they don't know her of what she truly is. She works undercover and very secretly. Truth be told, she's actually also helped you and the rest of the Storm Hawks out before," he explained.

"Really?" Piper asked, astounded.

He dipped his head. "She helped find the shards of the Aurora Stone after Aerrow destroyed," he said, "Now, my time's up. You've gotta get back to the World in-between. It's almost time for Chris to talk to you about the future. If you're wondering, he's the Oracle's brother."

"The Oracle has a brother?" Piper asked, clearly amazed.

"Yeah, hard to believe, hey?" he confirmed, "At any rate, I'll send you back. We'll meet again later. I'll be there when you meet Kara." He waved at her. "I'll see ya later, Piper!" He snapped his fingers and she reappeared back at the empty white world, awaiting the next spirit.

* * *

**So... that was the chapter! Hope you liked it! Now I gotta go work on the next chapter, so... until tomorrow, READ! lol. **

**Please R&R and tell me what you think (er... thought?) lol. **


	11. The Spirit of the Future

**Well... here's the next chapter, as I promised I'd post up today. Hope you like it! The countdown continues... lol. By the way... the TWIST I was talking a bit about last chapter... well... it's not really a twist... not anymore... -sigh- ah well... hope it's good anyways!**

**Please R&R! Much appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Ace Fipke and Nerd Corps**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: The Spirit of the Future

Piper sighed sadly as she sat down onto her knees. "I never knew my death would affect Aerrow so strongly…" she trailed off, looking down.

"If only you knew…" a deep voice agreed.

She jumped up at the voice and spun around. There floated a young man with short, tussled black hair, and dark, nearly black eyes. He wore a long, black robe with a hood and had his hands folded neatly.

"Do _all_ spirits just pop up like that?! Man, you scared me!" she scolded annoyingly.

"Sorry," he replied sincerely, "I didn't mean to startle you. I am Christopher, the-"

"Spirit of the Future? Yeah, Adrian told me," she finished, sighing.

"Anything _else_ he told you?" Chris implored suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded simply. "Not much though, only that you're the Oracle's brother," she said.

"Yes. I am her older brother. Call me Chris," he said, grinning.

She looked at him with a startled look on her face. "Okay, you were totally _not_ what I expected," she commented.

"W-What do you mean?" he asked worriedly, "Am I supposed to be all sparkly and glowing like my sister?"

She shook her head. "In '_A Christmas Carol'_ by Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Christmas Future is all silent and scary. Technically more looking like Death itself. But you… you're all cheerful and apologizing and completely not what I expected," she explained.

"What? Do you _want_ me to be all creepy and scary?" he asked teasingly.

The Storm Hawk looked rather nervous all of a sudden. Chris grinned at her reaction.

_I can see why Aerrow is so fond of her, _he thought_, her reactions are hilarious. And I have to admit... she's rather cute. Ah well..._

"So… you're here to show me the future?" she asked, eager to change the subject.

He shook his head. "No, I'm only here to _tell_ you about the future. If I were to show you the future, and you choose to return to Atmos, you may be influenced to change that future," he said. Then he sighed, "Piper, if you _do_ decide to return to Atmos, things will be _very_ different than what it's suppose to be without you."

"Um…" she began uncertainly, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Christopher shrugged. "It depends on how you look at it. Don't ask my opinion on it though," he replied, "By the way, I can show you clips and pieces of the future while I explain, but I cannot take you there. In the meantime…" He clapped his hands together and suddenly a comfy lounge chair appeared behind Piper, along with a small wooden table with a pot of tea along with a teacup and saucer. There was also a larger cup filled with sugar and a small jug of milk. "Sit down and have some tea," he invited.

"Thanks," Piper said, sitting down and pouring the tea into the teacup.

"Now… if it should be that you decide to return to Atmos, _this_ is what will happen," he said, and suddenly a huge blank screen appeared out of thin air. "At one point, Adrian and Kara will join your team, and your journeys will take you to particular terra in which Kara has been there before, but has no memory of. Anyway, you will be kidnapped, along with another. And for now… that's all I can tell you."

"No offence, but why the tea then? If _that_ was all you were going to tell me, you didn't need to offer me tea," she implored curiously.

"Oh… well… I like to be hospitable to my guests. After all, us spirits don't get many visitors," he said, creating a chair and cup w/ saucer himself and siting down.

"Thank you very much. I know you've already heard this before, but you _really_ wasn't what I was expecting," she commented.

He chuckled, "It's fine, I understand." He took a sip of tea before continuing. "So… are there any questions you want to ask?"

"Well… I was wondering… Since you _are_ a spirit of the future, do you know what I'm suppose to do with my life?" she asked.

Chris sighed deeply. "Piper, I am sorry, but _that_ question, I cannot answer. For that question, you will find out for yourself, that is, _if_ you choose to return to Atmos and the Storm Hawks," he explained.

"Also, another question," she began, "are you able to tell me what would happen if I didn't return to Atmos?"

"Eventually, with the help of all the other squadrons of Atmos, Cyclonia will be taken down, but the Storm Hawks will face great casualties, and the surviving Storm Hawks will disband and choose to keep their location a secret," he answered.

"But if I choose to return to Atmos, will we be able to take down the Cyclonian Empire?" the navigator inquired worriedly.

"Perhaps. It is still unknown," he admitted, closing his eyes and sipping his tea before looking back at her, "I highly doubt my younger sister would know either. If you choose to return to Atmos, it will be your future to discover." He sighed deeply, his expression rather depressed. "I am sorry that I cannot be of more use to you," he apologized sadly, "But there are some things that even _I_ don't know."

She smiled, her tangerine eyes brightening. "No, it's fine. Thank you. You've told me everything you've known. And it helps my decision," she reassured. Then she looked around. "By the way, what day would it be now back in Atmos?"

"It's the 23rd. Tomorrow you'll meet the very last spirit. Well… she enjoys her duty on Atmos. I suppose Adrian has already told you a bit about her, after all, he _is_ her boyfriend," Chris said, shrugging, "Anyway, I still have some time left, so is there anything you want to know about Kara before you see her?"

"Well… what is she going to talk to me about?" the navigator asked curiously.

The spirit ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Well… lots of things, I guess. You'll probably find her different than any of us. Probably because she's a guardian. She'll most likely talk to you about your relationships with the rest of the Storm Hawks and your crystal expertise. Truth be told, she actually takes crystal dust and mixes them together, and then creates a whole new crystal with it. It's quite astounding just to watch the process."

"Is she going to be harsh on me?" Piper suddenly asked.

"Why would she be harsh on you?" Chris retorted, surprised.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she might think that I should already know what I should do next," she suggested.

The spirit laughed. "I really don't think so," he replied, sipping his tea after he calmed himself from laughing, "Kara isn't like that. We're all only here to guide you to the right direction, but it's up to _you_ to decide what to do."

"Can I see what's happening with the rest of the Storm Hawks right now?" she inquired, "I really miss my friends and I want to know that they're alright."

He nodded, turning towards the floating blank screen.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

On board the Condor, the Storm Hawks were all on the Bridge.

"I miss Piper," Finn sighed, sitting on the circular couch around the round table.

_Wow..._ Stork thought, _If Finn is missing Piper, then that tells you one thing... we're all going crazy and are doomed... great..._

"I miss her too, buddy," Junko stated sadly, placing a huge hand on his best friend's shoulder.

Stork kept his attention on driving the Condor. "She'd probably be proud of us that we've returned the Royal Birthstone, _and_ that we haven't doomed ourselves _yet_," he commented, trying to avoid talking about Piper, seeing how depressed everyone was getting. _And that depressing mood could be highly contagious._

Radarr whimpered and looked down sadly.

Aerrow pat his co-pilot on the back and looked at them. "We all miss her. And if she _does_ come back, no, _when_ she comes back, we'll let her know just how much we've missed her," he announced, "Until then, we'll resume our duties and protect Atmos like we've constantly been doing."

"But Aerrow, what happens if she _doesn't_ come back? What will we do then?" Junko inquired, tears forming in the corner of his grey eyes.

The Sky Knight sighed, "I don't know, Junko. We'll be forced to accept the fact that Piper's really gone, and I promise you, we'll get revenge for her."

Radarr nuzzled into Aerrow and whimpered again. The redhead scratched the furry blue creature behind the ears. "Don't worry, Radarr. Piper will come back," he reassured, closing his eyes, a single tear rolling down his cheek, "She has to."

Junko went over and hugged Aerrow in a tight bear hug, squeezing the air out of Aerrow's lungs. "Aww… don't worry, Aerrow. We know how much you love her. It'll be alright," he said positively.

"Ack! Junko!" the Sky Knight gasped, "C-Can't… breathe…"

"Oops, sorry," the Wallop apologized, gently setting the Sky Knight back down on the ground.

"So…" Stork began quietly, "Now what?"

"He's right," the blonde sharpshooter agreed, "We've got to keep ourselves distracted away from Piper or else we're doomed!" Then he muttered, "Great, now I'm starting to sound like Stork."

Aerrow forced a laugh. "Right, well… let's just stick to doing chores. If Piper is coming back, we just have to survive tomorrow without her," he announced, "So let's get started."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Wow…" Piper mouthed, "They really miss me."

Christopher nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you will have much to think about."

She dipped her head in agreement.

Suddenly, a gentle beeping sound was heard. Chris looked at his watch and stopped the alarm. Then he got out of his chair.

"Well… it was very nice meeting you, Piper. But I've got to go now. My time's just about run out. Kara will be here soon," he said.

The navigator stood up and shook hands with him. The chairs and the table disappeared, as well as the items on it. "Thanks for all your help, Chris. And thanks for the tea!" she thanked gratefully.

He dipped his head in reply, then he disappeared in a flurry of lights.

Piper sighed, "Alone again…"

* * *

**Wow... Chris wasn't what you were expecting, eh? Not the Spirit of the Future you were thinking of? lol. "Am I suppose to be all sparkly and glowing like my sister?" lol. I found that quite funny when I wrote it... I was thinking about Twilight and "Sparkly" Edward-ness. lol. And how a few of my friends enjoyed dissing his 'sparklyness'. lol. **

**Well... that's this chapter. Hope you liked it! And I hope you guys are keeping with me on this fanfic as it continues to it's final chapter. **

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! (it tells me that you like the story, well... as does the hits on it. lol.)**


	12. The Guardian of Atmos

**Well... the countdown continues. Most likely, I think I'll split the last chapters into two chapters. Thank you to all those who's been reviewing and keeping up with the story through the lonngggggg cooooolllddddddd month. lol. I hope you won't be TOO disappointed with Piper's decision later on. lol. Hope you like this chappie! Merry (almost) Christmas!**

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke.**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: The Guardian of Atmos

"So… before the last spirit gets here, I should start thinking about my final decision," Piper said to herself, sitting down, "Okay, well… if I don't return to Atmos, it would break Aerrow's heart. Then, according to Chris, when Cyclonia falls, the _surviving_ Storm Hawks will disband. And if I choose to return, then we may be getting two new members of the Storm Hawks, plus, the rest of the guys will all be alive."

Suddenly, a warm light began to shine from a few meters away, and Piper stood up. A young woman in a long white, spaghetti strap dress with white, feathered wings on her back appeared. She had long flowing black hair and dark brown eyes. She looked about the same age as Piper, herself. A blue, star-shaped gem hung on a silver necklace around her neck. Adrian stood beside her, grinning at Piper.

"Hello, Piper," the woman greeted, "I'm Kara, the last spirit you're meeting."

Piper sighed in relief. "Finally, a spirit who _doesn't_ pop out and startles me," she said.

Kara glared at Adrian. "Did you scare her, Adrian?" she asked suspiciously.

He grinned sheepishly. "Unintentionally," he admitted, turning to Piper, "In any case, _this_ is my girlfriend, Kara."

"Yeah, so Piper, tell me something, how _much_ do you love Aerrow?" Kara asked suddenly.

"I love him with my whole heart," the navigator said honestly.

"Hmmm…" Adrian said, smiling, and nuzzling Kara's neck, "Just about how much I love you."

She pulled away. "Stop it, Adrian. I know you love me, but I don't think it's the best time. We're here to help Piper," she reminded. She turned back to the Storm Hawk. "Now, Piper, you said you loved Aerrow with all your heart. My question is… would you be willing to give up your life to save him?"

Piper looked Kara directly in the eyes and said a definite "yes".

Kara smiled. This was interesting. "And why would you do that?" she asked.

"I love him, and I know he would do the same for me," she replied honestly, "Besides, he's needed on Atmos more than me."

"Hmm… interesting…" Kara mumbled.

"With all due respect, what kind of questions are these?" Piper asked, a bit confused.

"You'll understand later," the guardian replied mysteriously.

"So… you're the Guardian of Atmos? I've heard that the guardian was only a myth and a legend," she said. Then she paused, thinking. "Oh wait, but then I remembered hearing a rumour that the Guardian showed up somewhere."

"Yep! That would be me!" Kara confirmed happily, "And if you choose to return to Atmos, Adrian and I will take you back to Atmosia, and following that I will take you back to the Condor myself."

"Yes we are," Adrian agreed.

Kara smiled at Piper. "Now, it's time for our trip into the past and the present. I'm going to show you all the good moments that has happened since you and the boys retrieved the Aurora Stone from Cyclonia. Well… I meant save the Atmos from Cyclonis," she announced.

"Why?" the navigator inquired curiously.

"Okay, that's true. Scratch that. We'll do this instead," she corrected, snapping her fingers and instantly, a clear white crystal appeared in her hands. She handed it to Piper.

"What's this?" the Storm Hawk questioned, analyzing the crystal's shape and colour, "I've never seen a crystal like _this_ before."

"It's called a 'Dream Crystal'. I made it myself. It will allow the three of us to enter someone's dream. My decision is that we're going to visit on particular Sky Knight in the only way we can," Kara explained, "He will be able to hear us, feel us, see us, and more importantly, talk to you."

"You _created_ this crystal? B-But how?" she asked, stunned.

"I take certain crystal dusts and compress them together using my powers to create a crystal. Then by the amount of dust I added I can take a guess at the level of strength," she answered, smiling, "But I have yet to figure out how to create a Helix Stone, _and_ the Infinity Stone."

"Personally, I'm against you trying to," Adrian said, looking at her, "If you _did_ figure out how to create one, you'd be put in grave danger. And that's the _last_ thing I would want. You're in enough danger already _just_ by being the Guardian of Atmos."

"Thanks, that's sweet of you. But I can protect myself. I _am_ a Sky Knight, after all," she retorted, half-jokingly.

"By the way, Adrian mentioned that you two were Sky Knights. If that's true, where are your squadrons? You've never mentioned them," Piper asked curiously.

"We don't _have_ squadrons. At the moment, we're just wandering Sky Knights helping people out for the good of Atmos. We were secretly graduated the same week as Aerrow, but we've kept my status as 'Guardian of Atmos' secret for my sake," she explained.

"Oh… but… why?" she inquired, "I'm sorry if I'm digging, but I'm curious."

Adrian laughed. "It's fine. Well… we didn't have many friends at the time. I was kind of a reject in the Sky Knight Academy. Aerrow would remember that," he said.

"And as for me, I woke up on Terra Atmosia on a rainy day. I had no recollection of what happened for the last three years. Even _now_ I still don't remember what happened," Kara said, sighing.

"By the way, Piper, there's something I forgot to tell you," he stated, "Piper, I'm a healer. I have powers like Kara's, but not as strong. Mine are only good for healing."

"And you are telling me this, why?" the navigator questioned.

"Because," Kara said, tackling her to the ground, where a sharp arrow flew overhead, "you might get hurt if you don't pay attention to the sharp pointy things flying through the air."

Piper looked up at her. "Ugh… what was _that_?" she asked.

"This world likes to… set certain traps, for spirits who stay here too long. Once it 'kills' the spirit, they are sent to their respective afterlives," Adrian explained, drawing out a two-handed double-edges blade, similar to the Dark Ace's but shorter and blocking off arrows.

"And yes, this only happens when the spirit usually stays here too long. For example," Kara explained while pulling Piper up, both of them dodging flying arrows. Then her dress suddenly transformed into a set of basic Sky Knight armour and drew out a pair of twin lightning blades. "Usually there is a spirit that is responsible for leading the dead into the afterlife, _but_ in your certain case, we prevented that from happening, and are keeping you in this world," she said. She powered up her blades with two rare white striker crystals. "And so… the consequences are just learning to survive here."

Piper continued to dodge flying arrows, and an arrow skimmed through her dress, just missing her skin. But the arrow still did damage to her co-ordination and made her disoriented. She fell to the ground, _right_ in the path of an arrow.

"Piper!" Kara exclaimed, pushing Piper out of the way. The arrow buried itself in her side.

"Kara!" Adrian shouted. Immediately he ran over to them, snatched the Dream Crystal away from Piper and activated it.

In an instant, they all appeared in a dark, black room. Only a single bulb kept the room alit.

"Oh no…" Piper gasped when he saw Kara lying on her side, an arrow buried into her, "A-Adrian. I'm so sorry… It's all my fault. Will she be alright?"

Kara coughed briefly as she was laid on Adrian's lap, opening her eyes and looking at her. "It's fine, Piper. It's not your fault. I'm alright. Just after I get," she groaned loudly as Adrian attempted to move the arrow, "… healed…"

"Sorry," Adrian apologized, "Now… I'm not going to lie to you. This will hurt." He got a firm hold on the shaft of the arrow.

"It's okay, it'll only be a moment," Kara agreed, "do it."

In one swift motion, he pulled it out, and she winced slightly in recoil.

"I'm so sorry," Piper apologized, "If only I hadn't fallen."

"It's okay, Piper," the guardian stated coolly, sighing, "I've been through worse."

Adrian gently pressed his palm against the wound, and immediately, it began to glow a light blue.

Piper's tangerine eyes widened. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm a Sky Knight, _and_ a medic," he said, "I've gotten a bit of medical training before." A few moments later, he removed his hand to find that the wound had been healed.

"Thanks," Kara stated, standing up. He helped support her.

"Where are we?" Piper asked curiously.

"We're in a dream room," Kara replied, "From here, we can enter people's dreams." She walked over to a door and opened it. "_This_ door is to Aerrow's dreams. So come on. Once we enter, we'll only have 5 minutes to talk to him before we have to go back.

Both Adrian and Piper walked through it, Kara closing the door after she walked in herself. They appeared in a huge grassy field.

"Wow…" Piper gasped, "Is this _really_ Aerrow's dream? I'd imagine him more like kicking Dark Ace's tail."

Both Kara and Adrian laughed.

"No, we've summoned him here," Adrian explained.

"Yeah, this would be _my_ dreamscape that I'm conjuring right now," Kara said, "which is why I can only hold it for 5 minutes because I'm keeping all four of us here."

Suddenly, a familiar redhead ran over to them from out of nowhere.

"Piper!" he exclaimed.

The navigator turned to see her favourite Sky Knight running towards her with his arms outstretched. "Aerrow!" she shouted happily, running into his tight embrace.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered, tears of joy running down his face, "Is this all just a dream? If it is, I never want to wake up."

"Aerrow," Kara said, "It's true that you're just dreaming, but the reality that Piper is here with you is real. As are Adrian and me."

He let go of Piper and looked at the pair. "Hey, I remember you two. You were both in the Sky Knight Academy with me, kinda... What are you doing here?"

"We brought Piper here to see you," Adrian answered, "_before_ she makes her decision whether she wishes to return to Atmos or move on into the afterlife."

The redhead looked at Piper. "Is that true?" he asked her.

She nodded in confirmation. "I'll explain it to you later," she said.

"Actually, Piper," Kara said, closing her eyes with her head tilted down, her white dress replacing her uniform, "I'd rather you _not_ explain it at all. It's best we keep this whole affair a secret, at least until the right time. You're the only exception we've had for a while now, to the whole 'get-a-second-chance' thing, and so it would be difficult to explain."

"Oh… okay then," she retorted, turning back to Aerrow, "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too," he told her, gently kissing her.

Adrian and Kara walked over to the pair.

"Aerrow, first and foremost, when you wake up, you must not tell _anyone_ about this, and that's the same with you, Piper. It's best that you don't ever mention about the Dream Crystal," Adrian told him sternly, "It's important that we keep Kara's identity a secret. If anyone knew that she had the power to create crystals just out of dust, she would be in grave danger, and as I said before, that's the _last_ thing she needs."

"Why?" Aerrow asked, both confused and curious.

Piper's golden eyes met his. "She's the Guardian of Atmos," she told him quietly.

His emerald eyes widened. "What?!" he exclaimed, "T-T-That's impossible!"

Kara laughed. "No its not!" she objected, "It's true!" Then she quickly composed herself and looked at them sternly. "Aerrow, as the Oracle had told you, Piper can choose whether to return to Atmos or move on into the afterlife. You can help her decide right now."

"Well… of _course_ you've got to come back!" he said, looking at Piper, "The Storm Hawks are a wreck without you! I'm not even joking. Even _Finn _misses you!"

The navigator looked down. "It's a lot harder than it sounds, Aerrow. Both futures with me _and_ without me could be difficult to get by," she explained.

"It can't be _that_ bad," he said, trying to be positive.

The look she gave him proved to be otherwise.

Kara said, winking, "Hey, but if you go back, later on you'll have me and Adrian to help!"

"I thought we weren't suppose to choose a side on this!" Adrian scolded, "We're supposed to be unbiased!"

She shrugged easily. "Ah well, too bad. I think things would be better off if Piper went back," she retorted honestly, "Otherwise, as Stork would say, it's death, doom, and destruction for all."

Adrian sighed, "The three D's, huh? Truth is, I agree that Piper should go back too."

"But- but-" Piper began, then she looked down, "I'm just worried about the future of the Storm Hawks."

"Piper," Kara said, causing her to look up at her, "the future can always be changed. And don't worry about the Storm Hawks, Adrian and I will keep watch over you guys. And when its necessary, we'll help you get out of those tight spots."

The navigator sighed. "Okay, I've made my decision."

"Ah… hold that thought," Adrian interrupted, looking at his watch, "We're just about out of time. We've gotta get back soon to make your final decision."

Piper turned to Aerrow. "Goodbye, Aerrow."

He hugged her tightly. "Bye Piper. I hope to see you tomorrow."

"Merry Christmas, Aerrow," Kara said, "If Piper decides to return, I'll see you later."

He gave her a single nod and let go of Piper, who stepped back beside Kara.

"Merry Christmas, Sky Knight," Adrian stated, grinning.

Kara gently touched the blue star pendant around her neck and they disappeared with a flash of light and reappeared in the world in-between.

"So, Piper, what's your decision?" Kara inquired, smiling. She expected her to choose to return to Atmos, and _that_ was a reason why she chose to take her to see Aerrow.

Piper looked at her and Adrian. "I'm choose to… move on into the afterlife…"

Both Adrian and Kara's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" they yelled.

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**WHAT?! is right! WHAT IS PIPER THINKING?! Well... you've got to wait till tomorrow's final chapters are up! :D Hope you liked this chapter! lol. I enjoyed thinking about making up Stork's 3 D's. Death, Destruction, and DOOM! lol. **

**Please review! Merry Christmas!**


	13. Decision Time

**Merry Christmas! And here is my present to all of you: The last chapter of "Dance Away, Dance Away, Dance Away All". Now that I REALLY think about it, the title really didn't have much meaning to the entire story, just maybe the beginning for the dance thing. lol. Well... hope you've enjoyed this story and followed it to the end! Once again, Merry Christmas! **

**And please R&R! That would be your gift to me! :D lol.**

**Disclaimer: Storm Hawks (c) Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke**

**Claimer: Kara, Adrian, Laura, Chris, Dream Crystal, etc. (The things that DON'T belong to Nerd Corps and Ace Fipke. lol)**

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Chapter Thirteen: Decision Time

"Piper! I thought you wanted to go back to Atmos!" Adrian exclaimed, surprised.

She rubbed her arm, embarrassed. "Well… I _do_, but I'm just kinda… worried… and… scared for the others," she admitted.

"But Piper!" Kara retorted, "They're all scared for _you_ right now! If you just leave them, who's going to tolerate Finn? Who's going to help take charge when Aerrow's busy or not in the position to do it himself? They _need_ you!"

The navigator glared at them suspiciously. "I thought you were supposed to be fine with _whatever_ decision I made," she accused.

"Well… _we_ have our own opinions too! And we've both paid a secret visit to the Condor while you've been meeting the other spirits, and so we _know_ how the others are feeling about this, even thought they don't know we know," Adrian countered.

"Yeah… I guess you're right…" Piper admitted, still looking away.

"And think about how Aerrow would feel!" Kara added, "He's hoping you'll go back to him and the others! Would you _really_ want to break his heart that way?"

"Well no, but-" she replied before getting cut off.

"And if you don't return back, not all of the Storm Hawks will survive in the future due to the final assault on Cyclonia!" Adrian said.

"Okay! Okay!" Piper yelled, throwing her hands up in defeat, "You win! I'll go back!"

Kara and Adrian gave each other a high-five.

"Excellent," he said, grinning.

Kara chuckled, "Actually Piper, we knew you were wanting to go back anyway. You were just trying to protect your friends. But… we still had to make you admit that anyhow."

The navigator glared at them. "Hey! That's not fair!" she pouted.

"Okay, stop your pouting and follow us," Adrian addressed, beginning to walk towards a light.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit," Kara assured.

They walked into the bright light and suddenly appeared on the forest part of Terra Atmosia. It was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

"W-We're back!" Piper exclaimed happily.

"Merry Christmas, Piper!" both of them exclaimed cheerfully.

She ran and hugged the both of them, tears of joy running down her face. "Thank you so much! You've given me the greatest gift ever! You've given back my life!" she sobbed happily.

"Hey, no tears on Christmas, okay?" Adrian said, laughing.

She sniffed and brushed away her tears.

"Now, I think it's time we deliver a gift back to the Storm Hawks," Kara said, winking at Piper, "It's you."

Adrian gently kissed Kara on the lips. "Merry Christmas," he whispered to her, hugging her against him, "I love you."

"I love you too," she mumbled back as she pulled away, "I'll see you later." She closed her eyes and her blue pendant pulsed brightly, enveloping her in a shining blue light.

Piper had to avert her eyes because of the strong light. When she looked back, her own dress had transformed back into her uniform.

"Your dress is neatly folded back in your closet on board the Condor," Adrian said, "Kara's scanned for traps and eliminated all trackers and the Torture Crystal has been disabled, so now it's a dud. You no longer have to worry about it."

"And I'll take you back to the Condor now," Kara said.

"Whoa!" Piper exclaimed, looking at her.

Kara had now transformed into a huge phoenix, red feathers gleaming in the sunlight. The only thing that told Piper it was Kara was the voice and the dangling blue star pendant hanging on a long silver chain around her neck. She bowed down, motioning for Piper to climb onto her back. "Don't worry," she reassured, "The fire isn't hot. Not unless I make it so."

The navigator laughed nervously. "Okay," she said, turning to Adrian, "Thanks for everything, Adrian."

"No problem," he replied coolly, "I'll catch you later, Piper."

"See you!" she replied, sitting on Kara's back, her arms holding onto her feathery neck.

"I'll be back for dinner," Kara said, "Tell Chris not to burn the turkey this time."

He laughed and waved as she took off into the skies and flew away from Terra Atmosia.

"Chris? As in… the spirit I met Chris?" Piper asked curiously.

"Yep, that's him. We always meet up with him and Laura for Christmas dinner," Kara replied.

"By the way, how do you know where the Condor is right now? They could be across the Atmos for all we know!" she inquired.

"I just know," she retorted simply, "Now hold on tightly."

Suddenly, Kara flew high and just dived down, speeding up her momentum.

"We'll get there faster this way," she said.

Along the way, Piper fell asleep from the fatigue.

_Hmm.... can't blame the poor girl. She's been awake for the past four days straight,_ Kara thought wistfully, _Better keep on flying smoothly so I don't wake her up. _She looked around worriedly, _And hope that we don't run into any Cyclonians._

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Half an hour later, the Condor could be seen across the horizon.

_Ah... finally..._ Kara thought in relief, _Let's just hope they know I come in peace._

Gently, she shook, crooning, "Hey Piper, do you see what I see?"

Piper's tangerine eyes fluttered open. She yawned and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "What?" she asked, her eyes falling on the familiar airship, "It's the Condor!"

Suddenly, blasts of energy were being fired upon them.

"Um… why are they firing at us?" Piper asked, clinging on tightly onto Kara's red feathers.

"You tell me!" she replied, barrel rolling aside, dodging the blasts.

All of a sudden, a single blast hit Kara's left wing and she screeched in pain before begin to plummet towards the Wastelands. Piper had fallen off in the confusion. She screamed in terror as she realized she didn't have her parachute.

Kara managed to steady herself as she was falling with her, and caught the young girl in her talons.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed happily, "Now… let's get closer to the Condor so that they can recognize _you_ before firing at _me_ again."

With one strong beating of her wings, they shot back upwards towards the Condor, where now the Storm Hawks on the blasters could be seen. Kara flew up right above them.

"Hey!" Piper called, "Finn! Junko! It's me!"

"Hey guys! It's Piper!" Finn yelled, pointing up at her, "She's alive!"

"And being held hostage by a phoenix!" Junko exclaimed fearfully, "We've gotta save her!"

"NO!" Piper yelled, "It's alright, she's a friend. We'll meet you on the Landing Pad!"

"Got it!" Finn shouted, running back in with Junko.

Piper looked up at Kara. "Come on, let's go," she said.

Kara hovered above the landing pad and gently let Piper down, _just_ as the boys ran out of the Hangar Bay.

"Piper!" Aerrow yelled, running and hugging her, "It's true! You're back!"

"Oh Aerrow! I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed happily before kissing him full on the lips.

Kara smiled and let her transformation disappear, but fell from the air, landing on her two feet. She now wore a long black robe similar to Chris', also with a hood.

"Who are you?" Finn demanded, drawing out his crossbow.

Aerrow held his hand up for him to stop. "No, Finn, it's okay. She's a friend," he replied, "She brought Piper back to us."

"The name's Kara," Kara greeted cheerily. Suddenly, she winced as she was moving her left hand up to shake his. She pulled up her sleeve to find a burn on her arm. "Ow…" she mumbled, "Hmm… must have been when I was hit."

Finn ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair and looked at her with apologetic blue eyes. "Sorry, that was me. I thought that you were attacking the Condor," he said.

She chuckled, "It's fine." She placed her right hand over the burn and it pulsed a blue light.

Piper gasped, "So you can heal too? Just like Adrian?"

The guardian laughed as she pulled away her hand to revealed a fully healed arm. "Yeah, but I'm not as strong in healing as Adrian," she replied, "Now, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Kara, Guardian of Atmos. I'm also a Sky Knight. Three of my friends and I helped bring Piper back over the course of four days."

"W-wait… the Guardian of Atmos? As in… _the_ Guardian?" Stork questioned, staring at her.

She nodded, as did Piper and Aerrow.

Stork disappeared and popped up beside Kara. "I've heard of you, and I've heard about your… powers…" he said, "Have you discovered the cure for Bog Fever? Can you cure it?"

She laughed. "Well… I suppose so, but I've never encountered anyone who had it. But you _could_ ask my boyfriend, he's a medic," she replied honestly.

"Awww…" Finn sighed depressingly. _I was hoping that a cute girl like her wouldn't already have a boyfriend._

"What's wrong?" Junko asked him.

"N-Nothing," he lied, "Just sad that she's unsure about the cure."

"Right…" Aerrow said, rolling his eyes. He knew what the blonde was thinking.

Piper rolled her eyes and turned to Kara. "Thank you, Kara. For everything you've done. You saved my life, twice now, allowed me a chance to return to the Storm Hawks, and taking the time to return me home," she thanked gratefully.

Kara shook her head. "It's fine, Piper. The boys and I were glad to help you," she retorted coolly.

"By the way," Aerrow began, "Kara, you never mentioned your squadron."

She looked up into the bright blue sky. "I don't have one, Aerrow. At the moment, Adrian and I are just wandering Sky Knights, helping people when we can," she said honestly.

"Well… you both are welcome to join the Storm Hawks if you'd like," he offered generously.

She met his emerald eyes with her dark brown ones. "Thanks, Aerrow. But I think Adrian and I will just stick together as lone Sky Knights for now. We know you guys are doing well without us, but don't forget, we're always watching over you guys in case you guys are seriously boiling in some hot water," she said, winking, "I see great promise from your team. Keep up the great work. But for now, I've gotta get back to Atmosia. The others are expecting me back for Christmas dinner. And I know you've got to prepare for your own." She turned her back to the Storm Hawks and began to walk towards the edge of the landing pad.

"Wait…" Junko said.

"Will we ever see you again?" Finn questioned.

She turned back to them. "Don't worry. We'll meet again. If there's any trouble that you can't handle, you can find me on Terra Atmosia, or some of my friends, if I'm not there," she responded.

"Thank you, Kara," Aerrow stated gratefully, hugging Piper with one arm, "for more than you know."

She smiled. "I think I know," she said enigmatically, "Well… Catch ya later!" Then she dived off the edge of the Condor.

They all ran over in shock and surprise.

"Where'd she go?!" Junko exclaimed horrifically.

"She just _dived_ into the Wastelands!" Finn agreed.

Stork twitched. "Instant doom…"

Suddenly, a phoenix flew up from where Kara had jumped, and the Storm Hawks fell back in surprise.

Kara laughed as she began to fly away, "Merry Christmas, Storm Hawks!"

They got up and waved to her. "Merry Christmas!"

As Kara's figure disappeared in the horizon, the Storm Hawks went back into the Condor.

"We thought we were never gonna see you again!" Junko exclaimed, crushing Piper in a bear hug.

"Junko!" she choked, "If you hold on to me any longer you won't!"

He instantly let go. "Oops, sorry," he said.

Radarr ran out from Aerrow's room and instantly tackle-hugged Piper.

She laughed, tickling him under his chin, "It's good to see you again too, Radarr."

"I've gotta admit," Finn said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's good to have you back."

"Wow Finn… I thought you'd be jumping for joy," she joked, "Was it really _that_ bad without me?"

"Yeah," Stork agreed, "I've gone without your sandcakes for four whole days."

She laughed, "Maybe I'll make some later, Stork."

"Come on, guys. Give her some space," Aerrow said, shooing them onto the Bridge. Then he turned back to her in the hallway. "I've missed you," he said, hugging her.

"I've missed you too," she replied, sighing as she hugged him back.

For some odd reason, his emerald eyes were suddenly averted upwards towards the ceiling.

"What is it?" Piper asked curiously.

"Mistletoe," he replied, staring at the red and green plant. Then he smiled at her. "And since you're the _only_ one here…"

She beat him to it and pressed her lips tightly against his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you," she told him after they had pulled away.

"I love you too, Piper," Aerrow whispered, pressing his forehead against hers, "Merry Christmas."

**_THE END_**

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**YAY! All done! Hope you've enjoyed the story! Plus, if you are wanting me to write a sort-of-sequel, please message me and let me know (but please also provide an idea for it... I'm currently idea-dead...). Thanks for all those reviewees and reviews I've received throughout the whole time period of this story. lol. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!**

**Please Review! And Merry Christmas!**


	14. First Chapter of Sequel

**Well... here's the awaited sequel to Dance Away, Dance Away, Dance Away All. It's four weeks/a month after Piper's ressurection. Two of my OC's (well... three actually), get a bigger spotlight in this. BUT... the canon characters still play a HUGE part in this, obviously. lol. Well... I've posted this on the very end of Dance Away, Dance Away, Dance Away all because it's a great way to let others know of the sequel. lol. But I have it on the ACTUAL story too. **

**If you haven't read the first one, go read it. I would post the link here, but it won't let me. argh!  
It's best if you read the first one first before reading this one so you know what's going on. AND who some of the other OC characters are. Please review for it!**

**There's still the now total-everyone-knows pairing of Aerrow and Piper, and then there's my OC pairing of Kara and Adrian. I might make a specific one with Finn with a certain character in which all of you would know if you read the first story. lol. Well... I hope you like it!**

**Please R&R!**

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Chapter One: Sudden Attack

It was three hours past midnight, and a single golden hawk with a blue star pendant on a silver chain around its neck flew around Terra Atmosia. But that was no ordinary hawk. It was actually Kara, Guardian of the Atmos and Sky Knight, transformed into a Sky Hawk. She often took midnight flights around Atmosia to scout for any trouble. With the betrayal and imprisonment of the Red Eagles' Sky Knight, Carver, there was no Sky Knight to lead the Red Eagles of Terra Atmosia. Kara and her boyfriend, fellow Sky Knight Adrian, had no interest in joining the Red Eagles, knowing the mockery they would get for being "children" because they were Sky Knights at the age of 14. But then again, they knew that there was another in their exact same position, except with his own squadron and travelling around the Atmos.

"Good… another silent night…" Kara mumbled to herself, "No sign of trouble so far…"

Suddenly, a huge green glowing missile appeared from the distance and was headed straight for Atmosia! There was an emblem of the Cyclonian Talons on it.

_Oh no!_ she thought, folding her wings and diving towards the terra. She cried out in alarm, and in return, lights flicked on within the Sky Knight Council building. Instantly four of the councillors ran out of the building in their sleepwear and looked up at her. All the other townspeople came out running too.

"There's a missile headed straight for here!" Kara shouted as she hovered above them, "It looks like it's from Master Cyclonis and her Talons!"

"Hurry and try to see what you can do to stop it!" the head councillor told her.

Another councillor pointed and they all looked at what he was pointing at. The missile was headed right for them. Somehow it had sped up and got there faster than expected.

"GET INSIDE!" Kara yelled at them, but it was already too late.

The missile detonated, and instantly, the terra was covered in a huge fog of green gas. Coughing could be heard all around them.

Kara tried to beat her wings in order to blow away the fog, but it failed.

_I need to get to the others,_ she thought, _they should be in headquarters._

A few months ago, before the incident with resurrecting Piper of the Storm Hawks, Kara and Adrian had created a secret group they called the "Wyvren Knights". They went around Atmosia and surrounding terra's and helped the people there. But no one ever knew who they were. She flew close to the ground, making sure she wouldn't crash into any buildings. When she arrived, she collapsed to the ground, coughing. The gas was starting to take a toll on her lungs.

A young man with short, messy brown hair and light chestnut eyes ran out and helped her up. He was holding his breath as he helped her into the building. After he closed the door and locked it, he exhaled deeply before breathing in. Kara transformed back into the tomboy she really was. She shook out her long black hair and blinked her dark brown eyes. She was wearing a Sky Knight's uniform, with the emblem of the Wyvren Knights painted onto the armour.

"Are you okay, Kara?" Adrian asked worriedly.

She nodded. "Yeah. My powers have made me immune to the effects of that gas… at least… I hope so… but it was hard to breathe out there. What _was_ that green fog anyway?" she replied.

"Don't know…" he admitted, "But I know Laura and Chris are out there, so we may be in for some trouble."

"We've got to get outta here," Kara told him, "While we're airborne, I can alert the Storm Hawks for assistance. We will most definitely need help on this."

He nodded, walking towards one side of the room where two mysterious vehicles were hidden under a huge sheet. He grabbed one end and threw it off, revealing two silver, purple, and blue coloured skimmers. They looked slightly identical, but they actually weren't even close. Kara's was the one on the right, a Skimmer III Extreme, while Adrian's was a standard Skimmer III with some modifications he did himself. With some help from Kara, of course.

"We've gotta get outta here quick. Who knows what that gas could do to the others? Or to _us_ if we stay too long," Adrian said, revving up his skimmer.

Kara got onto hers and looked at him uncertainly. "But I'm kind of unsure about just _leaving_ the others behind to Cyclonis' wrath," she told him.

"Don't worry. Once we make contact with the Storm Hawks, we'll ask them for their help and we'll all do this together," he reassured, pulling out a heavy-duty container, "And I'll take a sample of the gas so that hopefully we can analyze it once we get on the Condor."

"Let's go," Kara said, pressing a button on the wall, and instantly, the wall right beside it moved up and they hurriedly drove out into the fog, the wall closing behind them. They held their breaths as they drove as quickly as they could out of there.

A few moments later, they broke through the dense green fog and flew off the terra, them and their bikes plummeting towards the Wastelands. They pulled the toggles on their bikes, transforming them into bi-planes, and they began to fly away from Terra Atmosia with a heavy heart of leaving their friends behind.

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**Yes... I know this chapter was mostly about my OC's, but the next chapter will have the rest of them in it. And it has a cliffy at the end! Yay cliffies! lol. this chapter kinda highlighted a bit about MC's plan. Well... until next time! **

**BTW, I WOULD post the link to the sequel but it won't let me! argh. Just go to my profile page and go from there. **

**Please R&R!**


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